Set of structural elements for constructions made of &#34;DURREF&#34; material and space self supported module realized with this

ABSTRACT

Structural elements for the production of self-supporting structures are composed of a composition containing mineral and organic components and molded in modular structural shapes including a cube of side length L having vertical and horizontal holes traversed by threaded rods, a fork-shaped element, a Z-shaped element and a lintel element with projections of a width equal to L/3. The entire structure is held together by interfitting the projections and gaps between projections and with the threaded rods.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a national stage of PCT/RO96/0008 filed Aug. 27,1996 and based, in turn, on Romanian national application 95-01579 ofAug. 28, 1995 under the International Convention.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a set of structural elements for constructionsmade of "DURREF" material meant for making space selfsupported modulesof varied types and shapes, in a modular system. By adapting its formand dimensions this set may be applied in making housing constructionswith several stages, as well as industrial and agrozootechnicalconstructions such as: fabrication and execution halls, storehouses,wine and underground tunnels, silos, animal shelters, wine cellars andother constructions meant for production. Due to feasibility andadaptability of the constructive concept, and to the physicalcharacteristics of the special materials used according to the RomanianPatent No. RO-A-105789 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,088 of Mar.26, 1996), known under the name of DURREF, the set of structuralelements according to the invention may be used also in specialconstructions, such as: airraid shelters, atomic- radiation shelters,chemical shelters, as well as construction with a high degree ofantiseismic surety and invulnerability to seismic action.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are known prefab structural elements meant for housingconstructions. They are provided in the shape of cubes with a lowersurface meant for a floor, an upper surface meant for a ceiling and atleast two lateral surfaces meant for walls. Such a cubic element canrepresent a quarter of the volume of a room and, by being assembled withother three similar elements, can form a complete room. These elementsare provided with reinforcing ribs, of which same are so shaped thatthey can be used as supports for varied kinds of furniture, withclearance for windows and doors, as well as with channels for pipes andelectric wires. They are also provided with means for mutual fixing ofthe elements to form a self supported assembly of rooms (U.S. Pat. No.4,010,579).

A set of self supported prefabricated elements for modular housingconstruction is also known. This set consists of three basic elements,of variable sizes:

one inverted U shaped element, which represents the standard element fora room and it consists of two lateral walls and an overhead beam;

one inverted L shaped element, which represents a lateral wall and theceiling and can be connected to the upper end of the lateral wall of theroom; and

a parallelipipedic box shaped cell element opened on the part of thefloor and provided with a clearance for the entrance door (U.S. Pat. No.4,228,623).

These structural elements have the disadvantage they are expensive tofabricate, require transportation from the place of fabrication to thesite, use significant energy and manpower, and require numerous loading,unloading and handling devices for positioning and assembling.

A set of structural elements for construction which can make walls,floors, ceiling and connection parts is also known. A modularmultifunctional element of said set consists of a cross-shaped part anda H-shaped part, wherein the longitudinally oriented joining plugs, astongues of the cross-shaped part, are arranged above and belowcorresponding cavities or grooves of the H-shaped part. Besides, thetransversely oriented, shorter arms of the cross-shaped parts endstraight and just above the longer arms of said H-shaped part, namely inthe middle portion thereof. The above mentioned, multifunctional elementcan also be designated as a closing element having a single plug, as aT-connection, having three plugs, as well as a cross-shaped connectionhaving four plugs. Special embodiments of the multifunctional elementare provided with pierced holes through which pass reinforcing bars(U.S. Pat. No. DE 2,110,563).

A disadvantage of this set of structural elements for construction isthat the multifunctional element has a rather complicated and laborconsuming structure both to manufacture and to use.

Another disadvantage is that the reinforcing bars do not have anysuitable means for tension thereof and thus for obtaining wall strengthincrease on building site. Beside there are no means for reinforcingcorner connections.

A disadvantage of other known structural elements consists in that thejoining with horizontal or vertical expansion joints needhydroinsulation and thermal insulation, using for this purpose asbestossheets, mineral wool covered with polyvinylchloride, porous rubber tape,aluminum sheets, elastic materials and plastics tapes, so increasing thematerial and manpower requirements and the cost price.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to provide a construction set with areduced number of structural elements to form self supporting spacemodules for housing construction and for other purposes, the elements ofthe set having such a shape, which to fulfil multiple functions ofstrength, joining and modularity, to be dismountable, for simple andfast assembly at low cost.

The set of structural elements for constructions, according to theinvention, solves this technical problem and removes the aforesaiddisadvantages in that it consists of a cubic modular element with a sidelength L, serving for the forming of corner and field poles. The setfurther consists of a multifunctional element obtained from theaforesaid cubic element and having the role of a brick and for obtainingother submodular building elements, meant for support and joining. Theset further consists of a lintel with plugs for fixing the window anddoor frames, the modular element, the multifunctional element and thelintel as well as the submodular building elements being provided withpierced holes through which postcompression bars can be passed. The setfurther consists of a ceiling slab and a postcompression bar composed ofsegments. All the cubic modular elements are provided with piercedholes, four for example, which start from a face of the cube and open atthe corresponding parallel face in a point which represents theintersection of the diagonals of some squares having their side lengthequal to L/3 and placed in each corner of the said surfaces. In half ofthe total number of modular elements, the other four faces are providedwith three holes each, which are located one each in the center of eachthird part of the respective face, and in the other half of the totalnumber of cubic elements the four aforesaid faces are provided with twoholes each, located one in each of the marginal third part of therespective faces. The multifunctional element is pitchfork shaped and itis provided with a base and two lateral arms separated by a hole in aside and a slab positioned coaxially with the hole, in the oppositepart, the arms, the hole and the slab being straight prisms with squarebase, having a side length=L/3 and its height L, each of them providedwith a pierced hole, located at the intersection of the diagonals oftheir lateral faces, which determine the pitch fork configuration. Thelintel 20 is a beam with rectangular transverse section having theheight of a unit 1 where 1=L/3 and the width L at the inferior part anda series of prismatic plugs with length, width and height dimensions1×1×L at the superior part its length being determined by the length ofthe window frame and ending, at the extremities, with a prismatic plugsimilar to those on the superior part. The lintel is postcompressed withtwo bars, by tightening them with nuts, which push a plate, and theprismatic plugs are each also provided with a pierced hole in theircenter of symmetry, through which a bar passes for postcompression andmonolithizing with the brick from the wall. The ceiling slab is made ofbricks and elements obtained from these, for example Z shaped straps andsupporting bodies, joined by arms, plugs and gaps, ended at bothextremities with plugs, and reinforced on their lateral sides withmetallic rods, at the same time being pierced transversely andlongitudinally by postcompression bars, which are tightened with nutswelded on the bars. Any other parts of different sizes and shapes,necessary for the structure, among which at least a Z shaped strap, acorner with a spur and supporting bodies having the form ofquadrilateral prisms shall be obtained by partial or total detaching ofone or more of the component parts of the multifunctional element bychanging the angles between the faces and by modifying the dimensionsand the ratio between them. The self supported structural space module,achieved with the set of structural elements for construction accordingto the present invention, consists of corner and field poles, walls anda ceiling made of ceiling slabs, all being provided with reinforcement.The corner and field poles are composed of the cubic modular elements.The walls are composed of brickwork including the multifunctionalelements which are pitchfork shaped bricks and the submodular buildingelements which are Z shaped straps and supporting bodies. The walls canhave window and door lintels, the ceiling slabs being formed of thepitchfork shaped bricks. All of the cubic modular elements, pitchforkshaped bricks, Z shaped straps and supporting bodies. The walls can havewindow and door lintels, the ceiling slabs being formed of the pitchforkshaped bricks. All of the cubic modular elements, pitchfork shapedbricks, Z shaped straps and supporting bodies being provided with plugsand gaps and assembled in a mutually supporting relationship. Theseelements as well as the ceiling slabs, which join with the walls also byplugs and gaps, being traversed in postcompression bars, vertically inthe poles and horizontally in the brickwork and the ceilign slabs. Thesebars being tensioned from their extremities by a plate and a nut, thepostcompression and consolidation of the structure being achieved bytightening the nuts which are afterwards welded to the respective bars.

The set of structural elements for construction, according to theinvention, has the following advantages:

it is made of a reduced number of parts;

it occupies a limited storing space;

it needs only simple technical means for transport, handling andmounting;

it is adapatable to varied cosntructive configurations;

it has a large application field;

it can be assembled in a short period of time, easily and with unskilledmanpower;

it reduces by at least one half the fabriction cost; and

it permits dismantling and reusing of the components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become morereadily apparent from the following description, reference being made tothe accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the set of structuralelements forming a self-supported construction module;

FIG. 2 is a section of such a module showing a window provided with alintel element therein;

FIG. 3 is a detail showing the threaded sleeve; and

FIG. 4 is a detail showing a nut on one of the threaded rods.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

The set is made of a moldular element M for forming the corner and fieldposts and a multifunctional element 2 for forming the brickwork. Awindow lintel with plugs can be used. The structure can include aceiling 3. Bars 4 serve for postcompression.

The modular element M is a cube-shaped block with a side length L, inwhich there are pierced the holes a, parallel to the edges of the cube.Four of these holes from one face of the cube to the correspondingopposite parallel face, atthe intersection points of the diagonals ofsquares having side lengths equal to one submodule length=L/3, placed ineach cornerof these faces. They serve for the passing of the verticalbars 4 meant for monolithizing the strength poles by postcompression. Onthe other faces there are formed either three pierced holes a, locatedin the symmetry center of the third parts of those faces, or two piercedholes located in the symmetry center of the marginal third parts. Theseholes serve with the passing of the horizontal bars 4 for monolithizingthe walls by postcompression. The horizontal bars from the wallstogether with the vertical bars from the poles form a housing forreinforcing the self supported brickwork.

The multifunctional element 2 serve to form the walls between the postsand for formation of the ceiling slab.

The multifunctional element 2 is obtained from the block M from which onone of the face shall be removed two marginal units L/3×L/3×L, and onthe opposed face shall be detached the same unit located in the centralthird part. The multifunctional element so obtained is pitchfork shaped,with a base b, two arms c, a gap d and a plug e, of which configurationderives from the detached parts.

On the lateral faces of the arms c and plug e there are holes f locatedin their symmetry center.

By detaching parts from the multifunctional element 2 shall be obtainedelements with different configurations necessary in the brickworks asfilling, fixing and supporting parts. So, by sectioning the base of theelement 2 in a plane parallel to a lateral face of the plug e shall beobtained a strap 5 with inversed Z shaped arms and a supporting body 6,and by sectioning an arm e in a plan tangent to the bottom of the gap dshall be obtained a corner with spur 7. Also, by removing the arm cshall be obtained a body 8 for filling some gaps d from the base of thewall or from its superior part.

In a similar manner may be obtained other construction parts withvariable configurations and sizes, by partial or total removal one ofthe parts b, c, e of the element 2 or by detaching parts from the cubicblock M, by changing the angles, by changing the dimensions and thedimensional ratio between the parties. The lintel with plugs for thewindow, non-figurated, is composed of a beam with rectangulartransversal section 1×L and a length determined by the lengthof thewindow cse, for example 6L+1. The inferior surface of the lintel issmooth and the superior surface presents a series of plugs e separatedby gaps d, which determine at both the extremities a terminal plug. Thelintel is pierced along its all length by two bars 4 which ensure thepostcompression by tightening with the nuts 9 which push on the plates10. In the symmetry center of each plug e from the superior part of thelintel is made a hole a with a view to postcompressing with a bar 4 andconsolidating with the wall, after joining with bricks 2 from thebrickwork.

By detaching from the aforesaid lintel of a portion from the beam withseveral plugs, three for example, it is obtained another lintel, ashorter one, of similar construction, for the door.

The floor slab 3 consits, along with its width, of two or three bricksfor example, and along with its length, of the necessary number ofbricks determined by the brath of the room. The bricks areranged withthe arms c and the plugs e in the horizontal plane of the floor slab,successively alternating their orientation and combining them with Zshaped straps 5 and supporting bodies 6 in order to achieve aninterpenetrating among the arms, plugs and gaps of the adjacent bricksand to obtain at both the extremities a succession of plugs separated bygaps which are to join with the corresponding plugs and gaps from thesuperior part of the brickwork. The bricks so positioned are traversedlongitudinally and transversally by postcompression bars 4, which passthrough the plates 11 located at the extremities and through themetallic rods 12 located on the flanks. The ceiling slab so assembled issubmitted to the operation of postcompression by tightening the nuts atthe ends of the bars, which are afterwards welded, so obtaining acaisson construction, strongly compressed.

The postcompression bar 4 is made of steel and it is threaded at itsends. It consists of sections with length convenient for mounting, about1000 mm for example. These sections shall be assembled by means of thethreaded sleeves 13 according to the length of a row of brick from thebrickwork or as the height of a corner or field pillar increases. At theend of the bar assembly there is a plate 10, 11 or 14 and a nut 15.

For laying pipes and cables the brick with clearances with forms, sizesand oarientations adequated to the respective elements and the necessaryroutes, or these can be formed on site, because the special materialDURREF permits this.

This material is a mould substitute which includes in the mixture as avegetal component tree leaf particles, sawdust, rotten wood particles,splinters, paperwastes, roots, forage cultures, cereal crops, sorghumwastes, bark, stems, etc., included as mineral component, limestone insulphate form, carbonates, calcium oxides, and a synthetic bindercomponent of varied chemical sructure with or without dyes, whichproportions are included by 35-60 by weight wooden or cellulosicparticles 5-35 by weight limestone particles and between 5-30 by weightsynthetic binders of varied harmless chemical structures with or withoutother additions as required by necessity.

The self supported module shall be mounted on a foundation slab, whichshall be dimensioned, made horizontal and consolidated depending on thesize of the module and the soil characteristics. The module rests uponthe slab, without any tie with this.

After the geograhic orientation is established and the perimeter is setup on the foundation slab, the assembly can begin.

The execution starts by laying on the foundation slab of a block M forforming the corner poles and the field poles. These blocks from the baseof the poles are of the type with two holes a on the lateral faces. Theyshall be layed by introducing the postcompression bars 4, which arewelded on a fixing plate 16, through the four pierced holes a of eachblock. After positioning the blocks on the bars 4, the construction ofthe wall shall start by laying the first row of bricks between thepoles. As first element of the first row, which is in contact with thecorresponding lateral face of a cubic block M, may be a brick 2, a Zshaped strap 5 or a supporting body 6 so that it be achieved thecondition of subsequent sowing between the arms c, plugs e and gaps d ofthe bricks which form the successive rows of the wall. If a brick 2 ismounted, laid for example with the arms c downward, then near it shallbe layed on the slab another brick 2 with the arms c oriented upward,then another brick with the arms oriented downward, a.s.o., successivelyinverting the sense of the vertical laying of the bricks. In this case,when the number of the bricks between the holes is even, then the rowshall end with a supporting body 6, having its height equal to twosubmodules 1. There are more possibilities of starting and ending of thebrick rows of the brickwork.

The postcompression of the first row of bricks shall be made by usingbars 4 assembled by sleeves 13. These bars shall be introduced throughthe horizontal holes a from the cubic bloc and according as new brickshall be added, they shall be introduced in the holes located in thearms and plugs of these. After introducing about three bricks the firstthreads sleeve shall be added, at the end of the hole, and a new bar 4,which continues to be passed through the holes according as new bricksare added. At the end of the first row and after the bars have beenpassed through all the bricks and the two poles, a plate 10 shall beintroduced on the bars, at both ends, and the nuts shall be stronglytightened in order to achieve the monolithising of the bricks.

In the mentioned variant of the laying of the first row, the second rowof the wall shall start with a strap 5 layed with the superior arm crightward, this arm leaning on the base b of the first brick from thefirst row. Near this strap shall be layed the second brick with its armsorientated downward, it being followed by other brick orientedsuccessively in a reverse sense till the end of the row.

The operations of postcompression with bars 4 shall be made asaforesaid, so achieving the consolidation of the first cubic block ofthe corner poles with the second row of bricks.

Further on, the second cubic block shall be introduced on the bars 4,but this block shall be provided with three pierced holes on eachlateral face. There the third row of bricks shall be layed, proceedingthe same way as in the first row, so achieving the consolidation betweenthe second and third rows of bricks and the poles.

The third block of the corner and field poles shall have two holes, likethe first one, the fourth block shall have three holes like the secondone, a.s.o.

The operation shall be repeated in the same way till the laying of thelast block 1 from the poles and the last row from the brickwallsincluding the zones of the door and window frames, where the lintelsshall be mounted on supporting parts of varied forms.

In this moment the nuts of all bars 4 from the corner and field polesshall be tightened and welded, resulting a consolidated brickwork.

The erection shall continue with the laying of the floor slab 3 or thebrickwork, introducing the plugs from their extremities in the gaps dfrom the last row of the brickwork. They shall lean only on a half ofthe thickness of the wall, so that the other half shall serve inachieving other joinings when the construction of two adjoining rooms isdesired, using one of the walls as intermediary wall. These shall alsobe executed welded connections with steel strips between thereinforcement of the advancement floor slabs, as well as between floorslabs and the reinforcement of the corner and field poles. In this way astructure is obtained, consolidated by joinings which follow a labyrinthroute so that the elements of the structure mutually support and blockbetween them.

It is mentioned that depending on the strain to which the structure issubmitted, the cubic block and the bricks from the brickwork may beassembled without a binding matter in case of some light constructions,submitted to low strains, or with a binding matter deposited or all thecontact surfaces, in case of some big strains. This is a special bindingmatter DURREF, having a composition similar to the material used in thestructure.

At the end of the assembling of the module a concrete girdle 17 shall bepoured at the ceiling and the bare, which increase the strength of theconstruction and allow for the execution of other floors on the portantstructure of the ground floor.

The execution of the self supported module shall be concluded byassembling the floor, which may be made either of the multifunctionalelements 2 meant for a slab, or if DURREF slabs executed to thispurpose, both types of elements being glued with DURREF binding matteron the foundation slab. The gaps d from the first row of bricks shall befilled with filling dies having the side of the frontal face equal to asubmodule=L/3.

What is claimed is:
 1. A set of structural elements for structureshaving walls and a ceiling, each element of said set consisting of acomposition developed of wooden and cellulosic materials and a melamineor phenolformaldehyde binder and limestone particles, said elementsincluding:a modular element capable of being stacked to form cornerposts of said structure and in the form of a cube of side length Lhaving vertical holes and horizontal holes extending between oppositevertical faces; a multifunctional element capable of being reversiblyinterfitted with other multifunctional elements to form said walls andceiling and having a fork shape with two projections spaced apart by agap on one side and a single projection on an opposite side, saidmultifunctional element having a height, length and width equal to L,said gap having a width equal to a projection width, said projectionsbeing traversed by horizontal holes; a first submodular element having acentral projection on one side and a single projection on an oppositeside and having a height equal to L and a length and a width one ofwhich being equal to 2/3 L and the other of which being equal to L; asecond submodular element having a general z shape with offsetprojections and having a height equal to L, a width equal to 2/3 L and alength equal to L, said projections being traversed by horizontal holes;a lintel element having a length which is a multiple of L andprojections of a width equal to 1/3 L; and bars adapted to extendthrough aligned holes of said elements and provided with nuts capable ofbeing tightened to compress said elements together.
 2. A set ofstructural elements as defined in claim 1 wherein said modular elementhas four vertical holes inwardly of respective corners of the respectivemodular element and located at intersections of diagonals of squares ofside lengths 1=L/3.
 3. A set of structural elements as defined in claim2 wherein said modular element have two vertical interfaces traversed bytwo holes along a respective vertical symmetry plane and two othervertical faces traversed by three holes along a respective symmetryplane.
 4. A set of structural elements as defined in claim 3 whereinsaid holes in said projections are each located at the intersection ofdiagonals of said projections, each projection extending 1/3 of thelength L.
 5. A rectangular parallelipipedic structure composed of theelements defined in claim 1 elements and said bars and formed with saidwalls and said ceiling.